Photographing the ISS

Are there any amateur type telescopes that can track fast-moving objects
like the ISS and other orbiting stuff?
(By 'amateur' I mean things up to about an 8" Schmidt Cassegrain)


Jim Hawkins

Jim Hawkins wrote:
Are there any amateur type telescopes that can track fast-moving objects
like the ISS and other orbiting stuff?
(By 'amateur' I mean things up to about an 8" Schmidt Cassegrain)

Yes. Most of the LX200 series mounts can do it fairly comfortably. You
have to preprogramme the trajectory in but several people have done it
with partially cannibalised drive systems and/or computer control. I
think the first practitioners had done it nearly a decade ago. Check the
LX200 listserver archives for details.

There are several folks with webcam type devices that capture ISS views.
You could do it by eye but its a bit hazardous with a fast slew rate.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Martin Brown wrote:
Jim Hawkins wrote:
Are there any amateur type telescopes that can track fast-moving
objects like the ISS and other orbiting stuff?
(By 'amateur' I mean things up to about an 8" Schmidt Cassegrain)

Yes. Most of the LX200 series mounts can do it fairly comfortably. You
have to preprogramme the trajectory in but several people have done it
with partially cannibalised drive systems and/or computer control. I
think the first practitioners had done it nearly a decade ago. Check
the LX200 listserver archives for details.

There are several folks with webcam type devices that capture ISS
views. You could do it by eye but its a bit hazardous with a fast
slew rate.
Regards,
Martin Brown


Many thanks, Martin

Jim Hawkins